Method of making trim frames



1932- u. K. JOHANNSEN ,8 2

METHOD OF-MAKING TRIM FRAMES V Original Filed Jan. 8, 1932 UDO K. JOI'IANHSEN.

lNVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 20, 1932 UNITED ST'ATES- PATENT-OFFICE 'UDO K. JOHANNSEN, OF CORTLAND,.NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR .TO THE BREVTERFTITCHENER CORPORATION, OF'CORTLAND, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK mn'rnon or MAKING TRIM rnAMEs Original application filed January 8, 1932, Serial No. 1932. Serial This invention relates to the art of a builtup, sectional moulding or the like, and is more particularly directed to improvements in a decorative, rectangular frame-work intended for panel trim purposes and which design is such that it can be made upto any a desired dimension by the use of relatively few forming dies and still provide for round-- ed cornerregions. The present segmental structure is preferably struck up out of rel-' atively narrow sheet metal into complemen- "tary pairs of dished side and'cross bar sections of similar transverse profile having their respective ends overlappingly nested and neatly united byflexible tonguelike or equivalent fasteningv means, the terminals of' said bars'being preferably offset and so disposedthat their respective front faces fall" into substantial alignment. Said moulding may be supported upon its embraced panel and secured thereto by the use of aplurality of spaced prongs depending from the rounded perimeter of the frame assembly and which prongs may be overlappingly inturned against the rear of the mounted panel.

The present application is a division of my Serial No. 585,585 as filed January 8, 1932 and the improvements hereintreated consist in a novel method for making my moulding frame, all of which will hereinafter be dis closed in detail. Reference ishad to the accompanying one sheet of drawing, which is illustrative of a specific embodiment ofmy= invention, and in which drawing:

Fig. 1 shows an elevation'a-l front view of my preferred style of frame assembly provided with rounded corner regions as applied 585,585; Divided and this application filed July 14, No. 622,428. y

* to a conventional license plate or panel, while Fig. '2 represents a rear view thereof with the frame prongs crimped inwardly to mount the pa'neltherebehin'd.

-Fig. 3 is a fragmental sectional view of said assembly as taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 illustrates an enlarged corner detail of Fig. 2 and the relation of the frame prongs prior to their being crimped inwardly. I

Figs. 5 and 6 respectively represent a sidebar and a cross-bar blank as stamped up from-flat strip stock.

Figs. 7 and 8 are typical perspective views of the respective blank ends after they have been formed up andmade'ready for assemblyjinto the rectangular Fig.1 framework.

A detailed description will first be direot-' ed to thestructural aspects of my frame; Figs. .1 to 8 collectively show a built-up framework or-endless moulding of channellike profile adapted to trim the marginal edge of an elongated automobile license plate 10 orany other similar'panel. The

prevailing State identification plates are commonly provided with an endless marginal bead 11 and with an adjacent inner groove such as 12. The corner region of the plate perimeter is generally rounded off as represented at 13 by dotted outline in Fig. 4. The panel 10 is placed behind the fenestration of my open rectangular skeleton frame of which the upstandingpairs of relatively long corner prongs'll and 15 are crimped over the panel edge in the fashionindicated in Fig. 2.- Mysegmental framework is characterized by. the use of sheet metal side-bars and cross-barssuch as 16 and 17 respectively and which bars are kept rectilinear except at the overlapping terminal regions thereof. Short supplemental bar tongues such as 18 and 19 respectively, may be used to permanently clinch together the overlapping nested frame-bar ends, which built-up method materially reduces productioncosts overan integrally stamped frame which'latter' in-' volves considerable waste in center plate stock. r 1

The improved mode of making my frame may be explained in connection with Figs. 5 and 6. The first named figure shows a striplike blank 20 provided with quadrant or the like rounded ends as at 24A and which blank is stamped out of flat cold rolled strip stock of suitable sheet metal gauge and width w. Said blank is preferably given a dished or channel -like profile compr sing a relatively flat web element 16A disposed between upstanding marginal flanges such as 16B and the respective ends of which web may be raised to constitute a socketed, rectilinear side-bar 16 (see Fig. 7). The opposite blank ends may be similarly but reversely sheared while still flat to include a relatively short end tongue 18, a side tongue 19, and an intermediate relatively long extension or prong 14 that is parted by an edge indentation or inset gap 21, all of which elements are kept within the confines of the strip width w. The dotted outline indicates the corresponding die contour and the manner of parting said endless strip in a plurality of such blanks of any desired m'erall length, depending upon the successive feed-spacing that is given to the strip stock.

Fig. 6 represents the corresponding flat shape that may be imparted to my relatively shorter blank 22 as kept free of any tenons, but made to terminate in the oppositely disposed prongs 15 and also provided with spaced tongue receiving aperturessuch as 23. Between such apertures and their respective overhanging prongs, the blank perimeter may be given a nose-like quadrant contour such as 24, which shape in turn allows of subsequently giving the respective corner regions of my otherwise rectangular framework, an upturned. rounded perimetric formation of which the radius R is kept substantially equal to the strip width 10. If desired, one strip edge contiguous to the prong end region maybe indented or inset at 21A as shown. The blank 22 is then struck up by the use of suitable dies into a dished cross-bar 17 of channel shaped profile having a relatively fiat web element 17A and reversely disposed terminals with the prongs 15 thrown downwardly as shown in Fig. 8 where the end region of the innermost web flange 17B is cut away at 21A and is kept relatively shorter than the outermost mated flange. Each term nal of the side-bar 16 may be transversely oflset at 29 to form a bar extension 26'and constitute an interiorly socketed means adapted to overlie and snugly nest the described cross-bar terminal, thereby maintaining the plane of the respective bar webs 16A and 17A in substantial alignment with a common face of the panel 10, the upstanding web flanges all being faced in one and the same direction.

A distinctive structural feature of my built-up framework resides in the novel formation given to the respective corners there- I jected width confines of the respective sheet metal strips of which they form an art.

In the Fig. 7 disclosure, the exposed exterior face of the socket 26 is kept raised outwardly beyond the offset 29 to provide for a integral neat corner trim that protrudes upwardly relative to the intermediate face portion of the frame-bar 16 and which offset aligns with one radial edge of the overlapping, sector-shaped bar region. The opposed radial edge is here shown equipt with a tongue 19; it will be apparent however that the overlapping bar region need not be confined to the specified contour since it may assume any desired polygonal shape.

The gap '21 along the innermost, inturned flange of the dished bar 16 allows the intersecting end of the bar 17 to be snugly superimposed within the socket 26. After these complementary bar ends are nested together, the entered side tongue 19 is clinched into its contiguous aperture 23 and the depending end-tongue 18 is permanently crimped over the underlying edge of its mated bar in the fashion represented in Fig. 4. It will be observed that the root of the overhanging tenon 19 is sharply bent and the free end thereof brought into substantial alignment with the innermost rail flange 16B, to the end that said free end may be unrestrictedly entered into the aperture 23 without defacing the front face when the overlapping rail web apertures are superimposedas shown in Fig. 1. Each of the overlapping frame corner regions are similarly treated, which provides the perimeter of the interconnected framework with rearwardly upstanding prongs such as 14 and 15 adapted to receive and be inturned over the rear face of the license plate 10 (see Figs. 2 and 4).

It is preferred to have more than one prong embrace each of the marginal edges of the rectangular panel '10; these prongs can be repeatedly bent up to allow of panel replacement. The overall frame dimensions are preferably. chosen to make the innermost perimeter of my interconnected barscenter in the plate groove 12. the overlapping prongs being kept sufficiently long to reach inwardly over and press upon the rear of such grooveforming wall as shown in Fig. 3. In the presen t invent-ion, the innermost-web flanges are allbrought down flush upon the front face of-the license plate in an inwardly centered relation to the marginalbead thereof and the separate bar fastening means together.

with the associated depending prongs, are confined to and located within their respective intersecting bar regions.

Afurther important aspect of my frame structure lies in forming up segmental blanks from strip stock that require no further shearing along the longitudinal edges thereof and in so shapingup the respective overlapping channel-like terminals, thatno weld or separate keeper means will be re-. quired for corner securement purposes. It

is notessentialhowever that each segmental;

bar be equipt with duplicate prongs since certain of suchprongs may readily beelinr' inated without loss of effective plate securement. It will also be obvious that my socket element may be reversely formed by offsetting the bar 17 instead of the bar 16, as shown.

As applied to the described disclosures, my process of makinga built-up segmental framework may include the following-steps: (1) cutting up smoothly finished, cold-rolled, flat strip stock into a plurality of complementary bar blanks, preferably provided with prongs; (2) giving the respective blanks a troughlike-transverse profile to impart augmented transverse rigiditythereto and-simultaneously forming cooperating male and femaleterminal portions for the respective troughs adapted to nest in crosswise relation; assembling mated pairs ofsuch bars and inte'rlockingthe intersecting, terminal regions thereof into a fenestrated framework adapted to mount and secure a panel therein; (4) lastly, plating to weatherproof said framework with lacquered cadmium, copper-.nickel-chrome-or the like bright sur face finish without need of initially buffingv pecially lends itself to rapid quantity fabrication -at a sufficiently low production cost to enable this article to be profitably retailed through chain store agencies. In the present invention, the intersecting bar terminals are extended to overlie each other in either an external or internal relationship without requiring any separate keeper or interlocking elbow-pieces for corner seourement pur posesn If desired,'all.my bar blanks maybe made alike'as regards the terminals thereof by forming {one end with. tongues as in Fig. 5 while the'opposite end thereofis with an "aperture 23 as in Fig.6.

- Other advantages inherent in my method are thought apparent to those skilled in this art, also that the corner structure thereof may be variously modified in: likewise carrying out myillustrative embodiment, all without departing from. the spirit and scope of my. invention heretofore described'and more par ticularly pointed out inthe appended claims,

I claim l. The method of'making adjoined segmenprovided tal frame-bars and which .method includes 7 the following steps, viz: stamping complementary-sheet metal blanks from fiat, relatively narrow strip stock, an end region'of one-such blank being provided with an'overhanging tongue disposed within the longi--' tudinaledge confines of the strip width without shearing either of the" medial strip edge regions and a terminal region of the other blank being apertured to receive said tongue;

then forming complementary rectilinear frame-bars by imparting achannel-like transverse profile to the respective. blanks and shapingup an offset socketrlike terminal portion for one such blank adapted to cooperatively nest therein the terminal region of the other blank in crosswise overlapping relation; and thereupon, adj oinin'gs'aid cooperatively nested terminalsinto a series of tongue interconnected frame-bars. Y

2. The method of making up aframework comprising pairs of adjoined segmental bars and which method includes the following steps, viz: stampinga pair-of complementary bar blanks from sheet metal strip stock of which one blank terminates in a prong kept within the width confines of said stock, an end region of one such blank being further provlded with an lntegral tongue and-an fend region of the other;blank being apertured to receive said tongue; then forming complementary rectilinear frame-bars by imparting a channel-like cross-sectional profile to the respective blanks. and simultaneously shaping up an offset extension upon an end region of said one blankadapted to overlappingly nest an end regionofthe otherblank; and thereupon, adjoininga series of complemen tary blanks thus formed into a tongue-interconnected, endlessframe structure provided with a plurality ofprongs depending from the perimeter thereof.

3, The process offfabricating a sectional moulding comprising adjoined rectilinear bar-segments and which method consists" in the followingsteps, viz: stamping by intermittentlyoperated die means,.a pair of mated sheet metal blanksout of strip stock of uni arse;

form width from which the respective blank ends are severed in appropriate contour to provide for interlocking tongue means for the respective blanks, the overall length of each such blank being determined bythe longitudinal feed spacing that'is given to the strip stock between theisevering period and the blank width in its medial region being kept equal to that of the strip stock; then reforming the respective mated blanks into cross-sectionally dished, rectilinear bar-segments having their respective end regions shaped to nest in crosswise relation; and thereupon, assembling said reshaped blanks into a chain of tongue-interconnected segments.

4. The process of fabricating a sectional frame-workcomprising rectilinear segmental bars and which method consists in the following steps, viz stamping by means of dies mated pairs of sheet metal blanks out of smoothly rolled strip stock from which said mated blanks are severed and respectively provided with interlocking tongue means; then reforming said blanks into dished barsegments; and thereupon, plating said bars to impart a bright weatherproof surface finish thereto.

5. The process of fabricating a rounded corner structure for a moulding comprising a pair of rectilinear segments superimposed to intersect in oblique relation to constitute an overlapping bar region of sectorlike shape having an arcuate perimeter together with oppositely disposed radial margins from which the respective se'gments'extend out Wardly, and which method consists in the following steps,'viz i stamping complementary blanks from relatively narrow'strip stock, an end region of each such blank having a rounded contour disposed within the width confines of said stock and one of which segments has clinchable tongue means integrally associated therewith; then placing the rounded segment contours in superimposed alignment and interlockingly clinching the tongue over the other of said segments.

6. The process of fabricating a rounded corner structure for a moulding comprising a pair of rectilinear bar-segments superimposed to intersect in oblique relation to constitute an overlapping bar region of sectorlike shape having an arcuate perimeter and which segments extend oppositely away from the respective radial margins of said shape, and which method consists in the following steps, viz: stamping complementary sheet metal blanks from strip stock, an end region of each such blank having a rounded contour disposed within the width confines of said stock and one of which contours has clinchable tongue means integrally associated therewith; then formin up complementary barsegments by imparting a channel-like transverse profile to each such blank and upturning the rounded contours thereof into terminal regions adapted to nest cooperatively when said bars are placed in intersecting re-' lation; and thereupon, securing together the intersecting bar region by means of sai tongue.

7. The process of fabricating a rounded corner structure for a moulding comprising a pair of rectilinear bar-segments superimposed to intersect in oblique relation to con stitute an overlapping bar region of sectorlike shape having an arcuate perimeter and which segments extend oppositely away from the respective radial margins of said shape,

8. The process of fabricating a framework comprising intersecting segmental bars of the dished type and which method includes the followin steps, viz: stamping'a pair of.

complementary sheet metal blanks from relatively narrow strip stock of which one such blank is provided with an edge indentation adjacent to an end thereof; then forming up complementary bar-segments by imparting a channel-like transverse profile to each of the blanks, the aforesaid indented blank edge providing for a gap in a profile flange of one such bar; and thereupon nesting the other of said bars into said gap in superimposed relation to said one bar and securing together the overlapping region of the intersecting bars. r

9. The process of fabricating a corner c structure for a moulding comprising a pair of rectilinear bar-segments sup rimposed to intersect in obllque relat1on and lncludlng an overlapping barregion of polygonal shape of which a marginal edge extends crosswise of one such bar, and which method consists ing relationship and securing the bars to" gether by means of said tongue, said offset being disposed to coincide with the crosswise marginal edge of the aforesa1d overlappmg shape and the prong being appended to the perimeter of the moulding corner structure.

10. The process of fabricating a corner structure for a fenestrated moulding comprising a pair of rectilinear bar-segments superimposed to intersect in oblique relation and including an overlapping bar region of polygonal shape of which divergent adjacent edges each extend crosswise of the respective bars. and which method consists in the following steps, viz: stamping complementary sheet metal blanks from strip stock, an end region of one such blank terminating in prong means and the other blank having clinchable tongue means kept Within the width confines of said stock; then forming up dished complementary bar-segments adapted to intersect in nested relation; thereupon, superimposing said bars in nested relation and clinching said tongue for bar interlocking purposes, the prong being appended to the perimetric region of the aforesaid polygonal shape intermediate the extremities of the diverting adjacent edges thereof; and lastly, mounting a panel behind said moulding and inturning the prongs thereof over a marginal edge of said panel.

In testimony whereof, I have herewith set my hand this 12th day of July, 1932.

UDO K. J OHANN SEN. 

